From this year, students would be able to look up exam board questions that could be used for their grading this year. Commission board confirmed this decision and pointed out that they can do it online. Education experts and school board assumed that students could benefit from this action.
Nonetheless, the England’s exam regulator has opinion that this was made to prevent the leak once it is available to the teachers that could also give some students an unfair advantage.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic teacher-assessed grades will be awarded after the exams were cancelled for several times. The UK schools will have the right to decide how exactly teachers can judge and decide the opportunity to provide the exam board questions.
Following the Department for Education (DfE), Ofqual and DfE officials meeting they have stated that all the materials will be published online after Easter – which will allow students to access them.
“If you wanted to design a system that benefits those who already have advantages from the birth, you would start cancelling exams and end by showing candidates the assessment they will take” mentioned Stuart Lock, chief executive of Advantage Schools in Bedford. Meanwhile, the Mathematical Association added that this will embed disadvantage, these students staying at home will be provided with a full solutions to memorise.
On the other hand during the decision making process over 66% of committee agreed to the publishing all the materials online before the main assessment to manage the risks of learners got those details through the papers being leaked. In addition, some teachers still think that this system is not fear enough and can cause the grade inflation.
In order to prevent this, the education secretary boards will check and monitor consistency of judgements across teachers the eliminate teachers malpractice. Commission spokesperson mentioned that there it would be almost impossible to stop the leaking process; particularly once they start to be used. Even thought the materials will be available online with an easy access in advance, all these students will not know which of them if any their school or college will use for them.